abortion
Amazon wants to reimburse US employees for travel expenses for abortions in the future
Amazon wants to offer employees in the United States financial assistance in the event of an abortion in the future
© John Nacion/Geisler-Fotopress / Picture Alliance
Amazon has announced it will give employees up to $4,000 in travel and housing assistance if they have an abortion. Apparently it is a reaction to the threat of more and more countries restricting abortions.
The online retailer Amazon wants to reimburse its employees in the US for travel expenses for abortions in the future – apparently in response to the threat of restrictions on access to abortions in more and more US states. As the company confirmed on Monday, its company health insurance will reimburse up to $4,000 (3,800 euros) in travel and accommodation costs for treatments that are not available within a 160-kilometer radius of the place of residence.
The company did not want to officially comment on the reasons for the expansion of the insurance benefit. The expansion of travel reimbursements, which became known on Monday, includes not only abortions but also treatments for cancer, obesity, mental illnesses or addictions.
Amazon joins other companies
At the same time, however, Amazon reduced the benefits for Covid diseases. If the company previously offered its approximately one million employees in the USA paid time off for the duration of the illness, in future they will only receive five days of unpaid time off, or they will have to take paid sick leave or vacation days.
With the change in insurance, Amazon joins a number of companies looking to support their female employees in response to the threat of abortion restrictions in many conservative-governed states. The Citigroup bank had already announced an expansion of travel expense reimbursements in March. The IT service provider Salesforce had offered employees in Texas a transfer to other states after a controversial abortion law came into force there.